The Ohio County Clerk's Office keeps official records or recorded deaths that occur in Ohio County; these records extend from 1853 to the present.

PLEASE NOTE, West Virginia is not an "open record" state. Therefore, restrictions apply on who may obtain a Death Certificate.

Requirements for Obtaining a Death Certificate

If making a request in person, you must have:

Valid identification, from the list provided below

Payment of $5.00 (cash or money order ONLY) per requested copy

Office hours are from Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

OR . . .

If requesting by mail, you must:

Provide a written request (including the name, date of death, parents' names including mother's maiden name) or complete the online request form available on this website

Enclose a photocopy of your Driver's License or State-Issued ID

Enclose $5.00 (cash or money order ONLY) per requested copy

Provide a self-addressed stamped envelope that is at least 4" x 9.5" in size

Requests are generally processed/mailed the same day received.

Forms of Valid Identification

Driver's License or State-Issued ID

Passport

Major credit card with a photo of the card holder

In the event that you do not have any of the above forms of identification, but do have:

Vehicle Insurance card

Vehicle Registration card

A current utility bill or pay stub with name and address

then we will mail the requested document to you, at the address listed on the document that you provided to us; please bring a self-addressed stamped envelope with you.

Forms of Documentation to Establish Relationship

Death Certificates are generally issued to family members such as parents, spouses, adult children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, grandparents, and additional generations of the same, provided that they have identification that links them to the name on the Death Certificate.

Remember, it is necessary to have identification that links you to the individual named on the Death Certificate. A Driver's License or State-Issued ID can be used along with Birth Certificates, other Death Certificates, and Marriage Certificates. In the case of the requestor being the personal representative of the decedent's estate, a Certificate of Appointment is an acceptable form of identification. IF SUCH DOCUMENTS ARE NOT ON RECORD IN THE OHIO COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE, IT IS THE REQUESTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY TO BRING CERTIFIED COPIES WITH THEM WHEN MAKING THE REQUEST.

If you wish to make the request by mail, you can use the "request by mail" form (available on this site) or send a letter with the pertinent information, as well as a photocopy of your Driver's License or State-Issued ID, document(s) to establish your connection to the decedent, and the fee of $5.00 per copy (cash or money order ONLY). The address for requesting additional copies is: